The Chicago Bears are down to their final two candidates for their general manager spot as they aim to replace Jerry Angelo, the team's longtime GM, and it's clear from reports from the Sun-Times that they are going out of house rather than promoting someone like Tim Ruskell from within. Phil Emery of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jason Licht of the New England Patriots are the final two candidates and a decision will be made after another round of interviews.
"In the second round of interviews, the Bears will have to flesh out each man’s plans," writes Sean Jensen. "For instance, given his familiarity with the Bears and some of the scouts on the staff, Emery might not be as inclined to make massive changes to a scouting department that is fairly well-respected. Licht, meanwhile, could insist on an overhaul, implementing new scouts and systems he picked up while in Philadelphia, Arizona and New England."
If the Chiefs lose Emery, that's a big blow in the loss of a college scouting director just months before the 2012 NFL Draft. Yet it's also clear that the former Atlanta exec deserves his own chance to run a team's roster. This week, a decision should be expected.